3 Productivity Tips from Past Presidents

There are few people more qualified to teach lessons on productivity than former presidents of the United States.

Because today is Productivity Tuesday, we are sharing our top three tips from the men who once held the highest office.

1. Organize Your Day the Night Before
At the end of every day, the first thing we want to do is relax and leave all our worries for the following day. But doing this creates a perpetual cycle of stress and stress hampers productivity.

President Barack Obama would spend the last moments of his work day preparing himself for the next day. This would allow him to rest easy knowing that he had a plan ready to be followed when he would wake up.

2. Exercise Daily
Physically exercising every day is a tenet many former presidents adhered, most notably, President George W. Bush. He is known for running and biking multiple miles daily as his aerobic workouts.

Stimulating muscles and staying active helps to alleviate stress, promote blood flow, and allow time to think. We all know the physical benefits of daily exercise, but many don't know that it is a catalyst for increasing productivity.

3. Follow a Set of Rules
The best rules to live by are the ones you make yourself. No one knows you better than you know yourself, so make time for introspection and design a rulebook to help you stay on task.

President George Washington wrote a list of rules to follow which he named "Rules of Civility and Decent Behaviour In Company and Conversation." Because he designed this list for himself personally, he knew what character flaws he had and proceeded to correct them.

If you have problems staying productive like most people, understand the root causes of the issues and write rules for yourself to follow to make the most of each working hour.